The Summer Before
by missthisthat14
Summary: On one hot summer day, Lily and her best friend Marlene decide to go adventuring. This is a leadup story to 6th Year Woes, Foes, and Love.


Chapter 1:

**A Debatable Decision**

_By: EmpressM_

Lily Evans frowned. She pushed a strand of brilliant red hair out of her emerald green eyes and back from her freckled face.

"Marlene, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Sure Lils," Marlene replied. She shook her long, sleek light-brown hair out of her mysterious black eyes. "Why would it not be?" She proceeded with spraying an unmarked can of something on the tires of her bright, sky blue bike.

"I don't know..." Lily trailed off. She examined her own red bike suspiciously. "Are you sure your parents won't mind?"

"Lily," Marlene said, slightly exasperated. She carelessly tossed the spray can over her left shoulder. "My parents practically encourage this kind of thing."

"Really?" Lily asked, doubtfully.

"Sure!" Marlene answered brightly. She hopped on her bike kicked up the kickstand.

"You know, discovering new things... exploring new territories... chartering virgin lands..." she smiled.

"Chartering virgin lands? Your parents didn't actually say that to you, did they?"

"Well they said _untouched_ but its the same thing." Marlene pedaled a little harder to avoid Lily's questioning look.

"Why couldn't you just say untouched?" Lily asked, a smile slowly spreading on her face.

"Cause saying virgin is more fun!" Marlene exclaimed. The two laughed, pedaling together down the old country lane.

"Besides," Lily stated, with a hint of admiration in her voice, a few minutes later, "Your parents probably only say that because they're _Magical Territory Topographers_."

"Really, Lily, I don't see whats so interesting about it. They just draw maps of foreign magical lands for the Ministry. It's nothing that exciting." Marlene stated.

"Sure..." Lily teased.

Marlene was about to counter back when something caught her eye.

"Hey look!"

"What?" Lily asked.

"There's a path in the middle of this wheat field!" Marlene answered excitedly. Sure enough, amidst the tall stalks of pure white wheat, there was a narrow, but definite dirt path.

"How in the world were these people able to grow wheat ! In Britain of all places!" Lily exclaimed, flabbergasted at the sight in front of her.

"I bet they work for the Ministry..." Marlene muttered, fingering a stalk of wheat.

" There are _farmers_ working for the Ministry?" Lily asked, shocked.

"No! I mean for their Magical Support and Relief Department!" Marlene exclaimed.

"Care to explain?" Lily asked, apprehensively poking the wheat.

"On the way," Marlene answered. She jumped back on her bike and started to pedal forward.

"Are you sure--"

"Yes! Come on Lily, I want to get to the bottom of this!"

After about a good five or ten minutes pedaling down the narrow path, both girls were panting and sweating.

"Alright," Lily said, taking a deep breath, "Tell me what this is all about."

"Well, you see," Marlene said, taking many deep breaths, the Ministry has this thing..."

"Yes?" Lily pushed.

"Every Ministry of every magically inhabited country once made a pact. The pact was actually called the Magical Aid and Support Treaty of 1761," Marlene paused to catch her breath. She started again,

"In essence, the treaty stated that each Ministry had an obligatory duty to help a less-fortunate country,"

"Magical or non?" Lily asked.

"Magical," Marlene answered firmly. "They were to provide aid in the means of food and other supplies, mainly wandwood,"

"Why wandwood?" Lily questioned.

"Because, without wandwood, wands cannot be made, and therefore, magic cannot properly exist. We would have whole races of wizards and witches dying out if we did not donate the wandwood to them,"

"Ouch," Lily said, sympathetically.

"You bet," Marlene answered, primly picking out a stalk of white wheat from her brunette hair.

"Keep going," Lily said.

"Well, wandwood was the major area of relief, but out Ministry had a particularly weak country to support," Marlene said.

"Who?" Lily questioned.

"Nairobi," Marlene answered. "An African country with little or no resources, besides the people. Sour our Ministry had to work even harder. In addition to the wandwood, we prepare food for them, mainly bread. But obviously, we need somewhere to grow the wheat." Marlene paused.

"So the Ministry picked several high up, wealthy, usually pureblood families who owned lots of land to grow the wheat. They could refuse or accept. They were offered no reimbursement."

"So these people..." Lily began, "Whoever they are... are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts?"

"Yep," Marlene smiled, but it quickly turned into a frown. "I just wonder why the wheat is so white?" She asked.

"I dunno Marly... you might as well ask the people who own this place. If they were nice enough to put up the land and provide the wheat, they'll probably answer a simple question." Lily said, wisely.

"Yeah..." Marlene pondered. "Hey look! I think we're almost there!"

Lily peered forward on her bike. Sure enough, not even half a meter away, green grass and, surprisingly, a fully equipped Quidditch pitch appeared.


End file.
